Lapse In Enforcement, Weak Monitoring & Faulty Challans Paint Bleak Picture
Bikers ride without helmet
Bhubaneswar: Neglecting the use of life-saving helmets has killed more than 12,000 two-wheeler users in Odisha in seven years, even as enforcement records reveal faulty challans, unpaid fines and weak monitoring. The deaths of budding sprinters Mrutyam Jayaram Dondapati and Malaya Barik in a bike crash in Cuttack late on Wednesday night brought this safety lapse back into focus. The duo was also riding without helmets, according to police.In an audit of the functioning of the State Transport Authority (STA) and regional transport offices, tabled in the Odisha assembly on Sept 28, the CAG said 6,429 people died and 10,437 were injured in road accidents between 2019 and 2022 for not using helmets. Among those killed, 4,161 were riders and 2,268 were pillion riders.Data tabled in the assembly in March showed that 6,483 people died in road accidents in Odisha in 2025. Of them, 3,370, or nearly 52%, were two-wheeler riders. “More than 2,500 of the riders killed last year were not wearing helmets,” a govt official said.Ministry of road transport data shared in the Rajya Sabha in Dec 2025 showed that 1,769 riders died in accidents in the state in 2023 and 1,696 riders died in 2024 for not wearing helmets.The CAG audit said failure to wear helmets accounted for a significant share of road fatalities. It also pointed to the state’s missed road safety targets. The Odisha Road Safety Policy had aimed to cut road accidents by 50% and fatalities by 20% by 2020, compared to the 2015 baseline.But accident and death figures continued to rise in most years. Odisha recorded 5,739 road deaths in 2023, up from 4,303 in 2015.The audit watchdog also pointed to glaring flaws in enforcement. Its analysis of Vahan and e-challan data found that 4,786 cases were booked for “not wearing a helmet” even though the vehicles involved were registered as three- and four-wheelers.The errors were not limited to helmet violations. As many as 2,988 two-wheelers were wrongly challaned for “not wearing a seat belt”. The auditors blamed these anomalies on weak validation controls in the e-challan system and casual enforcement practices.Apart from faulty challans, the report flagged large-scale non-compliance with road safety norms. It found that 33,920 vehicles caught during enforcement drives were plying without paying motor vehicle tax. Yet, they were not seized as required under law.The report also flagged another major concern. As many as 39.55 lakh e-challans, worth Rs 1,136.62 crore, remained pending. They were stuck either with transport authorities, police or courts.The CAG recommended stricter enforcement of helmet and seat-belt rules. It also called for correction of deficiencies in the e-challan software and stronger monitoring mechanisms to improve road safety and reduce fatalities on Odisha’s roads.Admitting that enforcement has weakened with the shift to online e-challans, a govt official said many violators simply ignore the fines, leaving many challans unpaid. The issue is currently under review, the official added.Meanwhile, the STA on Friday used a post on X to promote helmet use. “If your hair gets messed up, it can be fixed. But if your head is damaged, it cannot. Don’t risk your life for style. Wear a helmet every time you ride a two-wheeler,” it said.Road safety volunteer Bikash Mohapatra said public attitude towards helmet use remains a major concern. “Very few people genuinely view helmets as lifesaving protective gear. The market is flooded with substandard helmets, and many riders wear them only to avoid challans rather than for safety. This mindset needs to change,” he said.
